Anne of Cleves' letter to Princess Mary, dated August 4, 1540

Source:

Handwriting of the Kings and Queens of England, W. J. Hardy, 1893

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.21209/page/n75/mode/2up

Above: Anne of Cleves, painted by Hans Holbein the Younger.

Above: Princess Mary, painted by Master John.

Anne of Cleves, known in German as Anna von Kleve (born 1515, died July 16, 1557), was queen consort of England from January 6 to July 9, 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Little is known about her life prior to 1527, when she became betrothed to Francis, Duke of Bar, although their marriage never happened. In March 1539, negotiations began for Henry's marriage to Anne, as Henry believed that he needed to form a political alliance with her brother Wilhelm, who was a leader of the western German Protestants, in order to strengthen his position against potential attacks from Catholic France and the Holy Roman Empire.

Anne arrived in England on December 27, 1539 and married Henry on January 6, 1540. However, after just six months, the marriage was declared unconsummated, and because of this, Anne was never crowned queen consort. After the annulment of the marriage, she was given a generous settlement by the King, and was thereafter referred to as the King's Beloved Sister. Anne outlived all of Henry's other wives, and before her death in 1557, she saw the coronation of her stepdaughter, Queen Mary I.

Anne wrote this letter the then Princess Mary from her country house at Hever in Kent.

The letter:

After my humble commendations unto Your Ma[jes]ty, with like thanks for your approved Gentilnes, and Lawful favour shewed unto me in my last sute, praying your Highness of your Loving Continuance, It may please your Highness to understand that I am informed of your Graces return to London again being desirous to do my duty to your Ma[jes]ty, and the King, if it may so stande with your Highness's pleasure. And that I may knowe when and where I shal wayt uppon your Ma[jest]y and his; wishing you both much joy and felicity, with increase of Children to God's Glory, and to the preservation of your prosperous Estates long to continue w[i]th honor in all godly Vertue, from my poore house of Hever the 4th of August.
Your highnes to commande,
ANNA the daughter of Cleves.